Salon Quality Nails At Home

The struggle is too real when it comes to giving yourself a top notch manicure at home. It can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Taking the time to prep your nails before polishing can make all the difference. Your friends and family will never guess that you did your nails all on your own if you follow this step by step guide to getting salon quality nails at home. Tis the season, after all, to have the best manicure at home for the holiday party.

Step 1: To prep your nails before giving them a well-deserved makeover, file them into a slightly rounded shape using a gentle emery board. Buff dry nails in one direction, not back and forth. That abrasive to-and-fro motion can cause them to splinter. Eek.

Step 2: Get the salon AND spa experience with this step. Fill a bowl with warm water, lather on your favorite hand cream, dip your fingers in the bowl, sit back, and relax for five blissful minutes. Ahhh. Yes, it’s a great excuse to treat yo self, but it’s also an important step in maintaining the health of your nails.

Step 3: The cuticle protects the nail from infection so it isn’t necessary to remove more of it than is needed. Only cut hangnails, otherwise simply push back the cuticle ever so gently.

Step 4: It’s time to get down to business. First of all, always use a base coat before applying polish. It protects the nail from staining, drying out, and chipping.

Paint along the sides of the nail, then up the middle. Choose any color you like, but the big trend for this fall are deep plums and jewel tones. Let dry then repeat once more for two layers of the polish in total.

Cover with a top coat to add a shiny, rich finish.

Step 5: Dip a cotton tipped stick into polish remover and carefully go around the nail to clean up the sides.

Step 6: Instead of waiting ridiculously long for your nail polish to dry and risking potentially messing up all the work you just put into your salon quality manicure, try this trick that cuts the time down to three minutes. Seriously. Fill a bowl with ice cold water and place your nails in it for three minutes. It’s cold, but it’s worth it.